"I…"
The word left Maria's mouth but went nowhere after that. The rest refused to follow. Her throat tightened, and for a moment she simply stood there, unable to continue. What Razeal had said lingered heavily in the air between them, and the worst part was not the accusation itself.. it was that he wasn't wrong. Every point he had made struck too close to the truth. Her face flushed despite herself, heat rising to her cheeks as embarrassment mixed with frustration. She hated that he could see through her so easily. Hated that he understood parts of her she herself preferred not to acknowledge.
Her lips pressed together as she shook her head quickly, denial surfacing even as her expression betrayed her discomfort. "Yes… what you said is true," she admitted at last, the words forced out through clenched teeth. The admission clearly cost her. "But there was never any agenda behind me coming with you."
